the moon pool-第62部分

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Above　it　the　rock　rose　bare；　but　at　the　ends　of　the　semi…

circular　strand　a　luxuriant　vegetation　began；　stretching　from

the　crimson　shores　back　into　far　distances。　　Of　browns　and

reds　and　yellows；　like　an　autumn　forest；　was　the　foliage；

with　here　and　there　patches　of　dark…green；　as　of　conifers。

Five　miles　or　more；　on　each　side；　the　forests　swept；　and　then

were　lost　to　sight　in　the　haze。



I　turned　and　faced　an　immensity　of　crimson　waters；　un…

broken；　a　true　sea；　if　ever　there　was　one。　　A　breeze　blew

the　first　real　wind　I　had　encountered　in　the　hidden　places；

under　it　the　surface；　that　had　been　as　molten　lacquer；　rippled

and　dimpled。　　Little　waves　broke　with　a　spray　of　rose…pearls

and　rubies。　　The　giant　Medusae　driftedstately；　luminous

kaleidoscopic　elfin　moons。



Far　down；　peeping　around　a　jutting　tower　of　the　cliff；　I　saw

dipping　with　the　motion　of　the　waves　a　floating　garden。　　The

flowers；　too；　were　luminousindeed　sparklinggleaming

brilliants　of　scarlet　and　vermilions　lighter　than　the　flood　on

which　they　lay；　mauves　and　odd　shades　of　reddish…blue。

They　gleamed　and　shone　like　a　little　lake　of　jewels。



Rador　broke　in　upon　my　musings。



〃Lakla　comes！　　Let　us　go　down。〃



It　was　a　shy　Lakla　who　came　slowly　around　the　end　of　the

path　and；　blushing　furiously；　held　her　hands　out　to　Larry。

And　the　Irishman　took　them；　placed　them　over　his　heart；

kissed　them　with　a　tenderness　that　had　been　lacking　in　the

half…mocking；　half…fierce　caresses　he　had　given　the　priestess。

She　blushed　deeper；　holding　out　the　tapering　fingersthen

pressed　them　to　her　own　heart。



〃I　like　the　touch　of　your　lips；　Larry；〃　she　whispered。

〃They　warm　me　here〃she　pressed　her　heart　again〃and

they　send　little　sparkles　of　light　through　me。〃　Her　brows

tilted　perplexedly；　accenting　the　nuance　of　diablerie；　deli…

cate　and　fascinating；　that　they　cast　upon　the　flower　face。



〃Do　you？〃　whispered　the　O'Keefe　fervently。　　〃Do　you；

Lakla？〃　He　bent　toward　her。　　She　caught　the　amused　glance

of　Rador；　drew　herself　aside　half…haughtily。



〃Rador；〃　she　said；　〃is　it　not　time　that　you　and　the　strong

one；　Olaf；　were　setting　forth？〃



〃Truly　it　is；　handmaiden；〃　he　answered　respectfully

enoughyet　with　a　current　of　laughter　under　his　words。

〃But　as　you　know　the　strong　one；　Olaf；　wished　to　see　his

friends　here　before　we　were　goneand　he　comes　even　now；〃

he　added；　glancing　down　the　pathway；　along　which　came

striding　the　Norseman。



As　he　faced　us　I　saw　that　a　transformation　had　been

wrought　in　him。　　Gone　was　the　pitiful　seeking；　and　gone　too

the　just　as　pitiful　hope。　　The　set　face　softened　as　he　looked　at

the　Golden　Girl　and　bowed　low　to　her。　　He　thrust　a　hand　to

O'Keefe　and　to　me。



〃There　is　to　be　battle；〃　he　said。　　〃I　go　with　Rador　to　call

the　armies　of　these　frog　people。　　As　for　meLakla　has

spoken。　　There　is　no　hope　forfor　mine　Helma　in　life；　but

there　is　hope　that　we　destroy　the　Shining　Devil　and　give

_mine_　Helma　peace。　　And　with　that　I　am　well　content；　_ja！_　Well

content！〃　He　gripped　our　hands　again。　　〃We　will　fight！〃　he

muttered。　　〃_Ja！_　And　I　will　have　vengeance！〃　The　sternness

returned；　and　with　a　salute　Rador　and　he　were　gone。



Two　great　tears　rolled　from　the　golden　eyes　of　Lakla。



〃Not　even　the　Silent　Ones　can　heal　those　the　Shining　One

has　taken；〃　she　said。　　〃He　asked　meand　it　was　better　that

I　tell　him。　　It　is　part　of　the　Three'sPUNISHMENTbut　of　that

you　will　soon　learn；〃　she　went　on　hurriedly。　　〃Ask　me　no

questions　now　of　the　Silent　Ones。　　I　thought　it　better　for　Olaf

to　go　with　Rador；　to　busy　himself；　to　give　his　mind　other

than　sorrow　upon　which　to　feed。〃



Up　the　path　came　five　of　the　frog…women；　bearing　plat…

ters　and　ewers。　　Their　bracelets　and　anklets　of　jewels　were

tinkling；　their　middles　covered　with　short　kirtles　of　woven

cloth　studded　with　the　sparkling　ornaments。



And　here　let　me　say　that　if　I　have　given　the　impression

that　the　_Akka_　are　simply　magnified　frogs；　I　regret　it。　　Frog…

like　they　are；　and　hence　my　phrase　for　thembut　as　unlike

the　frog；　as　we　know　it；　as　man　is　unlike　the　chimpanzee。

Springing；　I　hazard；　from　the　stegocephalia；　the　ancestor　of

the　frogs；　these　batrachians　followed　a　different　line　of　evo…

lution　and　acquired　the　upright　position　just　as　man　did　his

from　the　four…footed　folk。



The　great　staring　eyes；　the　shape　of　the　muzzle　were　frog…

like；　but　the　highly　developed　brain　had　set　upon　the　head

and　shape　of　it　vital　differences。　　The　forehead；　for　instance；

was　not　low；　flat；　and　retreatingits　frontal　arch　was　well

defined。　　The　head　was；　in　a　sense；　shapely；　and　with　the

females　the　great　horny　carapace　that　stood　over　it　like　a

fantastic　helmet　was　much　modified；　as　were　the　spurs　that

were　so　formidable　in　the　male；　colouration　was　different

also。　　The　torso　was　upright；　the　legs　a　little　bent；　giving　them

their　crouching　gaitbut　I　wander　from　my　subject。1





*1　The　_Akka_　are　viviparous。　　The　female　produces　progeny　at　five…

year　intervals；　never　more　than　two　at　a　time。　　They　are　monogamous；

like　certain　of　our　own　_Ranidae_。　　Pending　my　monograph　upon　what

little　I　had　time　to　learn　of　their　interesting　habits　and　customs；　the

curious　will　find　instruction　and　entertainment　in　Brandes　and　Schven…

ichen's　_Brutpfleige　der　Schwanzlosen　Bat　rachier_；　p。　395；　and　Lilian　V。

Sampson's　_Unusual　Modes　of　Breeding　among　Anura_；　Amer。　Nat。

xxxiv。；　1900。W。　T。　G。







They　set　their　burdens　down。　　Larry　looked　at　them　with

interest。



〃You　surely　have　those　things　well　trained；　Lakla；〃　he

said。



〃Things！〃　　The　handmaiden　arose；　eyes　flashing　with　indig…

nation。　　〃You　call　my　_Akka_　things！〃



〃Well；〃　said　Larry；　a　bit　taken　aback；　〃what　do　you　call　them？〃



〃My　_Akka　are　a　PEOPLE；〃　she　retorted。　　〃As　much　a　people

as　your　race　or　mine。　　They　are　good　and　loyal；　and　they　have

speech　and　arts；　and　they　slay　not；　save　for　food　or　to　pro…

tect　themselves。　　And　I　think　them　beautiful；　Larry；　BEAUTIFUL！〃

She　stamped　her　foot。　　〃And　you　call　themTHINGS！〃



Beautiful！　　These？　　Yet；　after　all；　they　were；　in　their　gro…

tesque　fashion。　　And　to　Lakla；　surrounded　by　them；　from

babyhood；　they　were　not　strange；　at　all。　　Why　shouldn't　she

think　them　beautiful？　　The　same　thought　must　have　struck

O'Keefe；　for　he　flushed　guiltily。



〃I　think　them　beautiful；　too；　Lakla；〃　he　said　remorsefully。

〃It's　my　not　knowing　your　tongue　too　well　that　traps　me。

TRULY；　I　think　them　beautifulI'd　tell　them　so；　if　I　knew

their　talk。〃



Lakla　dimpled；　laughedspoke　to　the　attendants　in　that

strange　speech　that　was　unquestionably　a　language；　they

bridled；　looked　at　O'Keefe　with　fantastic　coquetry；　cracked

and　boomed　softly　among　themselves。



〃They　say　they　like　YOU　better　than　the　men　of　Muria；〃

laughed　Lakla。



〃Did　I　ever　think　I'd　be　swapping　compliments　with　lady

frogs！〃　he　murmured　to　me。　　〃Buck　up；　Larrykeep　your

eyes　on　the　captive　Irish　princess！〃